It is natural for coaches, scouts and management to gush about top draft picks, mainly because they’re the ones who selected the guy, so when he looks good, they look good.

Naturally, Jim Fassel, Ernie Accorsi and most everyone else on the Giants’ payroll look at No. 1 pick Jeremy Shockey during this weekend’s rookie mini-camp and anticipate greatness. It’s not difficult to see why. The new tight end catches everything in sight, in stride and seemingly without effort.

Watching Shockey haul in passes thrown over his head or down by his feet yesterday was Mike Barrow, the veteran middle linebacker who just can’t stay away from the field, even during the offseason. Barrow makes a living corralling fancy tight ends and after only one viewing, he’s convinced Shockey is everything the Giants say he is.

“Somebody joked and said he has more catches than Howard [Cross] had his whole career,” Barrow said. “I was laughing at that.”

Thus far, Shockey has produced smiles all around, even after he came up with a blister on his left heel because his ankle was not taped. He made a one-handed grab of a pass behind him and later lunged for a ball that somehow settled into his arms. Even wearing black shoes, he looks a step quicker than most everyone else, which is why the Giants traded up to the 14th overall pick to take him out of Miami.

“You can see he’s explosive, his quickness, his confidence, the style he already has,” said Barrow, another product of the Miami football factory. “You just get excited. Certain guys, you can just automatically tell there’s something special about them. There’s certain guys who got that look, got that Austin Powers mojo to them, and from what I just saw in this little practice, he’s definitely got that mojo.”

Shockey seemed amused by all the attention about catching a few balls in a shorts-and-shirts practice. “I just try to catch as many as possible,” he said with a shrug.

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The Jeff Hatch saga ended yesterday, as the rookie LT from Penn participated in practice after sitting out the first day on the advice of his agent, who did not trust the Giants’ injury waiver agreement.

“It was killing me standing out there,” said Hatch, who experienced some heavy-duty pressure from the Giants to get on the field. “I told my agent and we decided to go for it.”

There is a chance the Giants’ waiver letter will be changed in the future to include stronger language regarding compensation.

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Remember RB Sean Bennett? The Giants are hopeful because the oft-injured 1999 fourth-round draft pick, who did not play last year and was out of football, is in this camp, re-signed and supposedly healthy.

“He’s a guy who will work out seven days a week and never stop,” Fassel said. “I told him you can have the finest race car in the world and if you keep driving it around the track all the time it’s going to wear out on you.”